Who has inspired us? Stories from the Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Institute in India

What is your leadership journey in children’s palliative care? Who and what has inspired you over the years? What is your personal leadership style? These are just some of the questions that leadership scholars were asked at the start of the face-to-face component of the Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Programme being held in Hyderabad, India from the 26^th January 2025.

Twenty-two scholars, 11 facilitators and invited guests were all encouraged to share their leadership stories over the course of the programme, starting with sharing about one person who has inspired them over the years. Stories are powerful ways of inspiring, education and changing lives – they are a powerful tool for communication, advocacy and building community. “People remember how stories make them feel, and are more inspired to take action than if they just heard facts and figures”. Through stories we can “open hearts and change minds”.

Within palliative care we use stories in many different ways, importantly as a therapeutic tool to help individuals process their emotions, connect with loved ones, find meaning and reflect. Their stories help those working in palliative care to get a glimpse into their lives, who they are as individuals, and what is important to them. They can help build bridges between patients, families and caregivers. Stories can also show the power and impact of the provision of palliative care, as well as the lack of palliative care. We use them in advocacy, in education, in showing the impact of our work, in fundraising – in so many different ways. Throughout the face-to-face component of the programme scholars are encouraged to explore how they can learn from stories, from each other’s stories, from their leadership story and journey.

As we listened to each other’s stories of being inspired by individuals in their lives, we heard about how our inspiration may come from our families, with scholars talking about their parents, how they had inspired them in their lives, their careers, in terms of their values and attitudes. We also heard about those inspired by individuals that they work with, by those in leadership positions delivering this leadership programme, those in palliative care in their country or region and those who led the way in palliative care, such as Dr Rajagopal and Dame Cicely Saunders. It wasn’t just those working in palliative care who had been inspirations, but those in wider society such as Mother Theresa. We all had our own individual stories, together they were a powerful tool for learning.

As we talked about those who inspired us, we also thought about what were the qualities that made them an inspiration, what are the qualities of a good leader? As we brainstormed this together, we identified a wide range of qualities that we look for in a leader, the qualities that enable us to be inspired and to follow. How “ordinary people make extraordinary things happen” how they “walk the talk”.

 Dr Gayatri Palat then talked about the 5 exemplary practices of Leadership (Kouzes and Posner):

1. Modelling the way,
2. Inspiring a shared vision,
3. Challenging the process,
4. Enabling others to act, and
5. Encouraging the heart.

She encouraged us to be self-reflective and to use these as opportunities for our growth as leaders. Continuing the theme of sharing stories, scholars shared examples of how they had utilised these different practices. Thus, the stage had been set for exploring, utilising and learning from our stories and those of others. A theme that will continue to be explored throughout the programme with further exploration on day 2 of the power of story-telling.

In the words of Robert Twycross when speaking about Dame Cicely Saunders in 2006: “We too must not just talk the talk,
But, like her, we must walk the walk,
And stay the course, and continue the task of changing the world.”

About the Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Institute

The Children’s Palliative Care Leadership Institute is an innovative training programme which commenced in 2024, bringing together a diverse group of emerging healthcare leaders from nursing, medicine and allied health fields and seeks to equip them to lead and champion healthcare innovations in children’s palliative care within South and Southeast Asia. This year there are 22 scholars from India (13), Nepal (3), Philippines (2), Vietnam (1), Bhutan (1), Sri Lanka (1) and Pakistan (1), including Doctors (14), Nurses (4) Psychologists (2), Social Worker (1) and Administrators (1). The programme is a joint initiative of Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration (TWCC), Pain Relief and Palliative Care Society (PRPCS), Sunflower Children’s Network, Hyderabad Centre for Palliative Care. Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the International Children’s Palliative Care Network  (ICPCN), St Jude Global Palliative Care, Cipla Foundation,Division of Quality of Lide and Paediatric Palliative Care Stanford University, and the Global Treehouse Foundation.